Missouri relies on its power generators and fuel producers for more than just energy. Read our special series about how the vital energy industry powers Missouri and our state’s economy.

For generations, coal has been Missouri’s go-to energy source, and Peabody Energy, the global leader in coal production, continues to make its home in St. Louis. Coal continues to be a critical part of Missouri’s energy mix, while being joined by a widening array of energy technologies.

The state’s economy is fueled by energy companies, from the Callaway Nuclear Energy Center in Fulton, which has an annual payroll of more than $100 million and is the area’s second largest employer, to The Laclede Group, which has a growing portfolio and has nearly tripled its customers by mass asset acquisitions in recent years.

Acquisitions power growth at Laclede

In three short years as president and CEO, Suzanne Sitherwood has nearly tripled the number of customers The Laclede Group serves. Sitherwood shares The Laclede Group’s growth strategy, company innovations, and what it is like to lead one of the largest energy companies in the country. Read more.

The power of coal

Missouri has had some of the lowest energy prices in the country and is also home to many coal fired power plants. Coal energy has proven to be an affordable form of energy and accounts for nearly 40 percent of the country’s energy consumption. Read facts about coal power in Missouri and the country. Read more.

Monumental power—Missouri’s only nuclear plant plays a major role in state’s energy supply

The enormity of the Callaway Nuclear Energy Center is appropriate given its importance to Missouri’s power supply. The plant’s annual 8.4 million megawatt-hours of energy account for roughly 20 percent of Ameren Missouri’s total production—enough for about 750,000 homes. Read more.

Bean Power — Demand for clean, green soy-based fuel is creating growth in Missouri

Work in Missouri in the early 1990s helped establish a national biodiesel industry that produced 1.8 billion gallons of biodiesel fuel in 2013—an industry record according to the National Biodiesel Board. While that number includes other fuel sources such as recycled cooking oil and animal fats, it is dominated by soy-based biodiesel. Read more.

As solar production expands, a new discussion emerges about its worth to Missouri

The potential for long-term cost savings has helped lead the solar expansion in Missouri. However, as solar energy continues to expand, a discussion is beginning over how to best compensate solar consumers for the power they generate. Read more.

Missouri’s renewable energy goals: Are answers blowing in the wind?

Missouri ranks 24th in the nation for wind generation, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Missouri’s wind generation stats are certain to grow as Ameren Missouri’s new 20-year plan calls for the development of 400 additional megawatts of wind capacity in the state. Read more.

Renewable energy: What lies ahead for Missouri’s energy mix?

The Missouri Division of Energy is developing the state’s first comprehensive energy plan, which is set to take effect May 31, 2015. The plan was proposed in response to new energy regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency that focus on reducing carbon pollution and lean toward renewable and sustainable energy sources. Read more.

Our view: If it’s not broken, why fix it?

New Environmental Protection Agency regulations threaten to upend Missouri’s power generation model. The administration’s goal of reducing carbon output from existing power plants is targeted squarely at Missouri and a handful of similar coal-dependent states. Read more. Read more.